Within the large umbrella of bobs, medium bob haircuts might be the most intriguing. They are not quite long enough to be lobs, but they are not as severe as a Vidal Sassoon power bob.
These hairstyles are breezy and wearable, and they are excellent transitional cuts in case you’re tempted to go short but too nervous to make an extreme change, or if the opposite is true and you’re in the process of growing out a pixie or short bob.
Either way, we’re in your corner with this awesome ‘do. We’ll help you choose the right mid-length bob for you based on your face shape and hair type, and then get you inspired with a selection of the coolest medium bob hairstyle photos.
In this article:
- Best Mid-Length Bob Based on Face Shapes
- Best Mid-Length Bob Based on Your Hair Type
- 55 Cool Ideas of Medium Bob Haircuts to Try
Choosing the Perfect Mid-Length Bob for You
A mid-length bob is a haircut that is almost always flattering. It doesn’t hold the risk inherent in a shorter bob, so all face shapes can benefit from it. You can alter the way you style and part it to enjoy slightly different effects, and make sure that the layers you choose will work with the texture of your hair.
Best Mid-Length Bob Based on Face Shapes
This section will help you figured out your face shape, and which medium bob haircuts will flatter it the most!
Medium Bob Haircuts for a Round Face
To quickly review, a round face has a more circular shape, with a height and width that are about equal in length. The right mid-length bob can really flatter your rounded features, but if you go just a touch shorter than suggested, the effect might not be great.
The key is to have your bob elongate your features, and for that, it has to hang at least an inch or two below your chin. A side part is the best choice for helping the face appear narrower.
Avoid bangs that obscure the forehead, although side bangs are alright. When it comes to styling, piecey, choppy waves or sleek blow-drying is ideal but don’t feel too constrained to experiment.
Medium Bob Haircuts for an Oval Face
When you have a balanced face shape like an oval, you don’t have to think too hard about how to style your medium bob haircut. The mid-length bob will look great on you no matter what since your face is just slightly elongated with feminine features and cheeks that stand out nicely.
Instead, rely on your hair to tell a story, and make use of your ability to experiment with different styles of bangs and partings. You can have fun from day-to-day by styling your hair into different kinds of waves, curls, or sleek styles.
Medium Bob Haircuts for a Diamond Face
A narrow and sharp diamond-shaped face, with high cheekbones and tiny forehead and jawline, can certainly benefit from the natural volume most mid-length bobs possess. If you would indeed like to add a bit of drama and draw attention to your face, opt for wavy, lush styling that will make your hair look extra soft and volumized.
Additionally, balayage with thin streaks will also add some drama. A lot of layering around the mids is another technique that can help with that kind of volume.
On the other hand, if you’d like to draw attention to how sharp your features are, you can rock a pin-straight blunt bob instead. Make sure to avoid straight-across bangs, as they will totally overwhelm your features.
Medium Bob Haircuts for a Square Face
Model-esque, square-faced beauties have striking features, with a powerful jaw and a square forehead. With this face shape, a mid-length bob can be utilized to either emphasize or soften your features, depending on your preferences.
The mid-length bob will usually soften your jawline since it will fall a few inches below it, but styling it straight and pulling it behind your ears will have an emphasizing effect. Style it wavy in curly if you’re looking for softness instead.
Bangs of all sorts, from wispy and straight to lush side bangs will camouflage the shape of your forehead, while both middle parts and extreme side parts will help draw attention to it instead.
Medium Bob Haircuts for a Heart Face
Like the diamonds, those with heart-shaped faces also have narrow jawlines and attention-grabbing cheekbones. The main difference is that the forehead is a little wider. If this is your face shape, bangs are a great idea for obscuring the forehead – especially side bangs and curtain bangs, as they still add length to the face.
Volume is important for balancing narrow features, so having layered or wavy mids is ideal, while the roots should remain slightly flatter. You may want to stay away from overly straight styling, but rounded blowouts and waves are a great choice.
Best Mid-Length Bob Based on Your Hair Type
When it comes to hair texture, the best mid-length bob haircut would rely on the correct layering. Always choose a stylist that knows how to work with your hair texture.
Medium Bob Hairstyles for Thick Hair
The key with medium bob haircuts for thick hair is that they help lighten some of that load while giving your hair shape. If your hair is naturally straight, you will probably look great with a blunt cut, but otherwise, it’s better to have layering that will shape and control your hair.
Rounded layers and face-framing layers alike can work nicely. One of the great things about having thick hair is that you can straighten it without having to worry that it will look flat.
Medium Bob Hairstyles for Thin Hair
The right mid-length bob can add a lot of texture to your hair, allowing it to look thicker and fuller. Either graduated layering or more haphazard layering at the mids is particularly good for adding volume, as are coloring jobs that involve a lot of multi-dimensional streaking.
When it comes to styling, waves and curls will definitely add more volume than straightening would, but even a blowout can help. Finish your hair off with a texturizing spray to really help bulk things up.
Medium Bob Hairstyles for Curly Hair
When you have curly hair the most important thing is to go to a good stylist who specializes in working with curls. Only that way can you ensure that your mid-length bob will look flattering even when you style it yourself.
Awesome curly medium bobs are all about the layering, and it’s important to have some strands to frame the face, as well as lightly layering throughout the back that gives a great shape. Blunt cuts simply do not work, because the hair can end up with weirdly volumized ends, but all sorts of bangs can be surprisingly adorable.
Medium Bob Hairstyles for Wavy Hair
There is a wide range of cutting and styling options with mid-length bobs for wavy hair. With this length, you don’t need to worry too much about frizziness or weird shapes, since the hair tends to lay down nicely.
However, if you do want more layering, make sure the layering adds shape and flows with your natural waves. Graduated layering, piecey layering, and razoring all look great, but short layers near the face can bunch up weirdly.
Medium Bob Hairstyles for Straight Hair
Straight hair is the easiest to maintain when it comes to medium bob haircuts. You can definitely rely on layers to amp up the volume and give shape to your hair (especially rounded layering), but you can also rely on volumizing styling techniques to give you that drama.
If you love the look of blunt cuts then you’ll be happy to know that you have the perfect hair texture for it! Layers around the face are also a safe choice if you like.
55 Cool Ideas of Medium Bob Haircuts to Try
There is a multitude of ways to rock a medium-length bob, and we want to show you all of them. Here are some photos to get you inspired, whether you’re growing out a shorter bob or making a chop.
1. Silver Medium Bob
We’re starting with a mid-length bob that is wearable and extremely modern. Silver is a majorly popular fashion color right now, and it looks soft and flirty with this wavy hairstyle. A side part shows off the darker roots nicely and flatters most features.
2. Blunt and Peachy Medium Bob Haircut
Let’s talk about the way this medium-length bob was cut, first. It’s a blunt cut that highlights sharp features and feels powerful. The colors, however, are playful, with the hair dyed with a complex mixture of peach and purple tones.
3. Amethyst and Rose Gold Medium Bob
Show off some gemstone tones with a mid-length bob. Slightly tousled styling helps soften the fashion colors to the point where one might think the amethyst and rose gold hair tones were natural. This bob is very slightly graduated, for a breezy feel.
4. Medium Bob Shag
Shags are often too boyish to work with shorter bobs, but they’re perfect with medium bob haircuts. They give a piecey, playful look that screams summer, and manages to look voluminous while weighing nothing. A wispy, long bang makes the face look so delicate but can be brushed aside when change is desired.
5. ‘90s Medium Bob Haircut
Whether you’re a natural redhead or a faux redhead, it is undeniable that opting for a mid-length bob will be a striking choice. This look feels particularly of the ‘90s thanks to an elongating center part and a straight blowout with lightly curved in ends.
6. Medium Bob with Bronze Waves
The touch of metallic bronze tones at the center and ends of the hair is eye-catching, especially against the light brown tones of the roots and top. The cut itself would be a lob, but with waves like this it looks a little shorter.
7. Undone Medium-Length Bob
It can be so fun to style medium bobs into tousled hairstyles! This undone look has a ton of texture, and there is something especially sexy about the combination of bedhead and a deep side part. Combined with the extra layered ends, it’s an extra wearable look with natural volume.
8. Graduated Golden Mid-Length Bob
Graduated bobs are actually a fantastic mid-length choice, because they have a flattering shape that makes the hair look healthy, and they allow you to dip your toe into a full bob with the shorter back. This classy golden mid-length bob is quite simple, with a flattering side part and slightly feathered ends.
9. Silvery Blonde Graduated Medium Bob
This is another fun, graduated take on medium bob haircuts with some cute wavy styling. The coloring combines warm blondes with cool silvery tones, which is intriguing and complex. The cut is an extra choppy graduated bob, which looks very textured and full as a result.
10. Baby-Doll Pink Mid-Length Bob
This is the kind of bob that will get you feeling like the cutest baby-doll. It’s a great fantasy cut and color, with bright pink locks straight out of an anime, and straight-across bangs that define cuteness. Sleek styling would make it more mature, but we’re living for the curled in ends here.
11. Extra Graduated Medium Bob
This medium-length bob is extra compelling because of all the different elements that went into it. The angle of the graduated cut is quite extreme, which is part of what makes this look stand out. The layering is very feathery, with some short underlayers as well, which combines with the styling to look very full. Lastly, we have to talk about the awesome balayage that takes into account the shape of the cut with lighter gold tones near the front and darker tones at the roots and back of the head.
12. Pink Asymmetrical Medium Bob Haircut
Because of the deep side parting, this sleek medium bob hairstyle has a very cool asymmetrical effect that makes it stand out all on its own. However, the dye job takes it up a notch, with a blend of pink and pale silver tones giving brightness and joy to a deeper grey base.
13. Vintage Medium-Length Bob
The mid-length bob is a super versatile haircut that can be styled in a bunch of different ways, including vintage-inspired Marcel waves. The side part and pearl-studded pins help to finish the effect, while the dark-rooted platinum coloring adds a balancing modern touch.
14. Wavy Mids Medium Bob
If you’re in the mood for something different, consider styling your medium-length bob into this funky style. The hair was blow-dried, with the mids and ends styled into soft, uni-directional waves. A super subtle balayage of thin blonde strands over the brunette locks adds some brightness to the look.
15. Sunrise Medium Bob Hairstyle
This super-soft, feathery cut with bangs is great, but we have to talk about the colors! This dye job illustrates how important deep roots are for giving the illusion of volume to a look. The roots are a deep purple tone that represents the early morning darkness, while the combination of peach and yellow tones is the rising sun.
16. Soft Yet Blunt Mid-Length Bob
This is a really interesting medium bob haircut. The ends were cut very bluntly, which looks powerful, but a few strands were layered and feathered here and there, adding a counterbalance and softening touch. Styled into tousled waves, this look is pretty striking in its contradictions.
17. Medium Power Bob
While medium bob haircuts are usually softer, it’s not unheard of to see them take on shorter power bobs in their intensity. This blunt graduated cut is striking, with very straight styling and a dramatic middle part. The model’s dark hair color only adds to the effect.
18. Razor-Cut Medium Bob
To follow something severe here is a very soft and well-layered take on graduated medium bob haircuts, with razored ends looking very textured. The way graduation was combined with layering adds volume, as does soft, wavy styling.
19. Honeyed Mid-Length Bob
This is the kind of medium bob that makes us feel a little hungry. It’s a rounded, lush cut that looks soft and voluminous, while the coloring adds texture. Honey streaking over natural brunette locks is always a nice choice, but here it is positively scrumptious.
20. Chocolate Medium-Length Bob
We’re sticking to the sweets theme, with a chocolate and espresso mid-length bob. This cut has blunt ends, but it’s styled in a soft and rounded way that feels feminine and delicate. The effect is boosted by the shiny streaks of chocolate brown over a darker espresso base.
21. Wavy Blunt Medium Bob
If you prefer to keep things simple, you cannot go wrong with this cool girl cut. It’s a bluntly cut medium bob that is the same length all the way around, with a very modern middle part. It looks gorgeous with this thick, lightly textured hair.
22. Medium Bob Hair with Blonde Sombre
Blonde sombre hairstyles are not as common as they used to be, but they still look great especially with medium bob hairstyles. The maintenance is easy and the gradual color change is soft, but the blonde takes up more space than it would in a balayage. The cut itself is a simple shoulder-length bob, but a couple of strands at the front were left a little longer.
23. Razored Shaggy Mid-Length Bob
This cut is razored and feathery in a way that feels light, chic, and modern, with an androgynous touch. The hair near the front of the face was razored a touch shorter, which frames the features nicely, while elsewhere the layering is rounded for great shape. Tousled styling makes this look playful and fun.
24. Blunt Curly Bob
This blunt cut does a beautiful job of highlighting the model’s powerful facial features. It seems piecey thanks to the way it was curled, as well as because of the contrasted between blonde highlights over a dark brown base.
25. Modern Glam Medium-Length Bob
Soft and shiny, this is how you rock a medium bob on occasions when you need to turn up the glam. This simple, middle-parted bob was dyed with a heavy-handed balayage into a perfect blonde hair tone. This lightly razored cut was then styled into the most perfect soft waves.
26. Ash and Silver Medium Bob Haircut
Matte colors have a truly unique charm, as proven by this ash and silver hairstyle. This hair was chopped into a really nice style that skims the shoulders, with lightly feathered ends for an airy feel.
27. Silver Medium Bob with Deep Part
This is a shinier take on medium bob haircuts that look effortless when it is anything but. The cut itself is simple and blunt, but the gorgeous texture comes from sleek blow-drying, while the high shine requires the best nourishing hair masks.
28. Chocolate Medium Bob
The richness of this hair color is a great reminder that brunettes can have just as much fun as blondes. These chocolate locks were cut into a simple mid-length bob, with just a touch of razoring at the ends. It looks modern thanks to the combination of a middle part and piecey waves.
29. Blushing Medium-Length Bob
If you’ve got auburn hair, you definitely don’t want to totally hide with a dye job. This blush balayage works so well over the warm locks because it creates a very unusual effect. It’s a perfect creation for a fluffy, tousled medium bob.
30. Side-Swept Mid-Length Bob
This is the best way to modernize those shags from the early oughts. This side-swept medium bob haircut has all of the energy of scene kid hair, but with the modern feel of peachy tones and balayage techniques.
31. Blunt Silver Medium Bob
This is one of those medium bob hairstyles you’ll have to try if Kylie Jenner is your fashion idol. It’s dramatic and memorable in silver, with sharp blunt ends and pin-straight styling. Wearing this cut with a middle part is clearly a must.
32. Choppy Chin-Length Medium Bob Hairstyle
There is a punk rock feel to this choppy medium-length bob. Part of that is thanks to the dark roots and the way they contrast against the warm blonde ends. The straight yet piecey and textured styling also helps with the edgy effect.
33. Auburn Medium Bob Haircut
When you have naturally straight hair you can play around with undercuts to give your hair more movement. That, along with some phenomenal layering to frame the face, is the secret to the magic of this auburn-colored medium bob.
34. Shaped Mid-Length Bob
This is one of those perfect medium bob haircuts that will flatter all face shapes and hair types. The gradual layering helps to shape and volumize while taking off weight, while the subtle blonde balayage is easy to maintain but adds so much charm.
35. Multi-Gold Medium-Length Bob
This is the ideal example of how to balayage dirty blonde hair, leading to a gorgeous and healthy multi-blonde look. This wavy hair was cut into a choppy bob, with some longer strands at the front to flatter the features, and then styled in a fun, tousled way.
36. The Updated Rachel Medium Bob
Is anyone else getting an updated “Rachel from Friends” feeling from this ‘do? We think it’s because this medium bob hairstyle features graduated layering near the front of the face, which was her signature, even if the coloring and side part are totally of the moment.
37. Shoulder-Skimming Wavy Bob
If classy and elegant are your favorite adjectives then this is exactly how you should be styling your mid-length bob. The blonde locks were styled into soft, clean waves that look lush and soft.
38. Pointed Blunt Medium Bob
There is something punchy about blunt medium bob haircuts that have just a couple of longer pieces of hair near the front. It’s an effect that works best when the hair is straightened, like in this look. It’s a great complement to the multi-dimensional platinum blonde tones.
39. Graduated Lavender Bob
Our love for graduated bobs knows no bounds, and this is a fine example of an extremely clean one. The lavender hair shade makes the look even more memorable, and ideal for spring or even for a particularly crisp winter.
40. Lavender Colormelt Bob
As much as we loved the previous look, sometimes you want something soft, and it’s nice to know lavender can still work even then. This dark brown to lavender colormelt is dreamy and complex, while the wavy styling is breezy and feminine.
41. Tri-Color Balayage Medium Bob
This simple medium bob haircut features just enough layering for volume and shape, but nothing excessive. It was then balayage-dyed into a beachy blonde creation, with honey-colored mids, brighter ends, and naturally dark roots.
42. Light and Dark Blunt Bob
We’ll never stop being impressed with the combo of blunt cuts and wavy styling. What should be contradictory actually feels breezy, especially in this instance where it also includes extra dark roots that melt into the most summery blonde sombre.
43. Layered and Wavy Medium Bob
This is the perfect technique for cutting medium bob haircuts in a way that flatters thin hair. The ends were layered in a way that emphasizes volume, and the wavy styling certainly helps.
44. Almost Blunt Blonde Bob
This fun medium-length bob is like a reverse on all of the blunt bobs with longer front strands. Here, the strands at the front are a little shorter, which is great for bringing attention to the face. Styled with small waves, this look has the texture of summer.
45. Flaming Orange Medium Bob
Looking to change things up for autumn? A dark rooted sombre with flaming orange hair ends is a great way to go! This look is super choppy and layered, in a way that works quite well with thinner wavy or straight hair.
46. Candy and Chocolate Mid-Length Bob
This is one of those medium bob hairstyles that could give you a cavity! Chocolate brown roots give you to cotton candy pink waves that fall to the shoulder extra choppily. It’s a razored, graduated cut that is super flattering.
47. Asymmetrical Blunt Medium Bob
Symmetry is overrated! If you’re already into the sleek, pin-straight looks, then consider something quirky like this gorgeous asymmetrical cut. Dyed into a brown to blonde colormelt, it still has some inherent texture.
48. Pink Grapefruit Medium Bob
The combination of yellow and pink will always remind us of the tartest citrus fruit! This clever and difficult balayage requires an expert colorist, but with a practice you can achieve those Marcel waves at home.
49. Copper-Touched Medium Bob Hairstyle
If what you seek is texture, look no further than this lovely medium bob. Even the bangs have texture, and they blend nicely into the rest of the hair thanks to graduated layers. The hair was dyed with a wet balayage technique for a coppery touch.
50. Melted Candy Medium Bob
If you’re hankering for something sweet, consider a brightly colored medium bob hairstyle. This lovely little bob has hot pink roots, a fearless choice, that gradually fade into bright peach waves. Soft, wavy styling gives a melted effect.
51. Icy Pink Medium Bob Haircut
Icy pink seems like a fitting color for such a blunt haircut. It’d be pretty intense with straight styling, but it looks as soft as clouds because of waves that go in alternate directions. If you’ve always wanted to be an anime character, this is the look to try.
52. Iceberg Medium Bob Hairstyle
This look has the intensity of an iceberg. It’s pin-straight and powerful, with a dramatic colormelt that goes from dark brown to icy silver. The asymmetry of the cut only contributes to the striking effect of the color and styling.
53. Purple and Silver Mid-Length Bob
If you’re wanting to graduate to fashion colors, why not do so with a graduated medium bob? This purple hairstyle is touched with notes of silver, for added shine and drama, and was styled into piecey waves. The graduated cut is subtle but modern.
54. Beachy Sombre Medium-Length Bob
Despite the styling, which is sleek and powerful, this medium bob hairstyle still feels very beachy and summery. This is likely because of the dye job, which relies on a light brown to a blonde gradient that screams California, as well as thanks to the bit of tousling over the side part.
55. Metallic Lavender Medium Bob
Finishing with style! This lavender mid-length bob is a real stunner, with a metallic sheen that reflects light beautifully, and a great fade into the root that proves that the hair is healthy. The deep parting elongates the features, while wavy styling really makes us want to stick our hands in.
Photos via Instagram
